Chemical compound



Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHEMICAL COMPOUND Delaware N 0 Drawing.

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an explosive compound, and to uses of such compound utilizing its explosive properties.

The cost and other disadvantages of mercury fulminate as an agent for use in igniting propellant powders or detonating charges for initiating the action of high explosives have led to the substantial replacement of mercury fulminate with such compounds as normal and basic lead azide, normal and basic lead styphnate, the lead salts of the dinitro benzoic acids, diazodinitrophenol, lead dinitrophenylazide, the lead salts of salicylic acid, the lead salts of phthalic acid, tetrazene, and the copper ammonium salt of diazo amino tetrazole. These substances, singly and in various admixtures, have to a considerable extent replaced mercury fulminate, particularly as the explosive ingredient of ammunition priming mixtures. Mention may be made particularly of admixtures of normal or basic lead styphnate and tetrazene which have acquired rather extensive commercial use. Tetrazene, however, is unde- Application October 31, 1934, .Serial No. 750,822

C., a somewhat lower temperature being preferred. The resulting precipitate of a lead salt of diazo amino tetrazole, which may be either crystalline or amorphous, is nearly white in color and is quite highly sensitive to friction and percussion. It has been found that the use of this salt in conjunction with lead styphnate in mixtures ordinarily requiring tetrazene to increase their sensitiveness eliminates the necessity for the use of tetrazene. A preferred mixture is as follows:

Per cent Lead salt of diazo amino tetrazole 20 Lead styphnate 25 Lead sulphocyanate 8 Lead nitrate 22 Glass 25 The foregoing formula is merely typical. Various oxidizers and fuels may be used, and lead styphnate may be omitted or replaced by another explosive. Typical formulas are:

Lead salt of diazo amino tetrazole Guanylnitrosaminoguanyltetrazene 2 Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent Lead stynh na tn Lead nitrate 30 Barium nitrate Lead peroxide Lead sulphocyanate- 8 Calcium silicide Antimony sulnhidp Glass 20 sirable by reason of its high cost. The present invention contemplates a wholly new explosive compound usable alone and in admixtures with such materials as normal and basic lead styphnate, and particularly adapted to eliminate the necessity for the use of tetrazene in commercial priming mixtures.

This compound is the hitherto unknown lead salt of diazo amino tetrazole. It may be prepared as follows: The primary sodium salt of diazo amino tetrazole is made according to previously known methods, preferably the methods described in this applicants prior application, Serial No. 646,711, filed December 10, 1932. A water solution of this primary sodium salt with sodium hydroxide is prepared, the ingredients being present in the proportions of about 1.2 grams of the primary sodium salt and 10 c. c. of a normal sodium hydroxide solution in c. c. of water. To this solution is added, preferably drop by drop, a solution of lead nitrate having a concentration of about 3.3 grams of lead nitrate to 50 c. c. of water. The reacting solutions are maintained at a maximum temperature of about Both a lead salt of diazo amino tetrazole and a priming mixture containing such a salt being wholly new, the appended claims are to be broadly construed:

What is claimed is:

1. A priming mixture for ammunition, comprising a lead salt of diazo amino tetrazole; a second percussion sensitive ingredient from the group consisting of guanylnitrosaminoguanyltetrazene and lead styphnate; an oxidizer of the group consisting of lead nitrate, barium nitrate and lead peroxide; and a fuel of the group consisting of lead sulphocyanate, calcium silicide and antimony sulphide.

2. An ammunition priming mixture having substantially the following composition:

Per cent Lead salt of diazo amino tetrazole 20 Lead styphnate 25 Lead sulphocyanate 8 Lead nitrate 22 Glass 25 WILLI BRUN. 

